Watch For Changes At Tight End. Line

ALEX MARVEZ COMMENTARY

August 5, 2002|ALEX MARVEZ COMMENTARY

Changes to the offense are coming. It's just a matter of when. Coach Dave Wannstedt and staff met Sunday to re-evaluate Dolphins talent after two days of joint practices with the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

The first switch is expected at tight end as rookie Randy McMichael is on the verge of replacing Jed Weaver. The fourth-round pick is wowing Wannstedt with his pass-catching prowess and has added eight pounds since arriving for camp (he weighs 249). McMichael also has more upside, but Weaver is a trusted target for Jay Fiedler and will still get on the field even if he's a backup.

The other major shakeup could come on the line. Jamie Nails, whom the Dolphins released at camp last year, is arguably their most impressive lineman through the first week. At a slimmed-down 335 pounds (really), the 6-foot-6 Nails is the type of massive run blocker Wannstedt is seeking to open holes for Ricky Williams. Nails also has experience -- four seasons in Buffalo.

Wannstedt has said the best five linemen will start, even if it requires significant shuffling. So the question is who would be a backup if Nails is promoted.

Nails would be supplanting Mark Dixon if promoted at left guard. Dixon is still recovering from last season's serious leg injury, and he and Nails split playing time against Tennessee in Saturday's scrimmage.

But if Nails is to start at left guard, Dixon wouldn't necessarily move to the bench -- provided the Dolphins roll the dice and give him a shot at replacing Brent Smith at left tackle.

Smith had a roller-coaster first week of camp. Not only is he coming off a season-ending knee injury, Smith is hurting from a strained calf suffered in a June minicamp. Plus nobody is going to look his best on every play when facing lightning-quick ends Jason Taylor and Jevon Kearse. But Smith has shown significant improvement from when he returned to the field at an April minicamp.

Dixon hasn't played left tackle since joining the Dolphins in 1998, but he manned that spot for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian League the previous season. While he has the athleticism and grit to play the position, Dixon has admitted he doesn't know whether such a move would be successful.

"The five best guys should play, and I'll do whatever is asked of me," Dixon said at the start of camp. "But I might be one of the five best at guard. If I were moved to tackle, I might no longer be one of the five best. For me it's just a matter of playing football right now. I've got to focus in on guard."

The other option would be keeping status quo with Dixon and Smith and instead moving Nails to right guard, where he started 16 games for the Bills in 2000. But that position already has fierce competition, as Leon Searcy is neck-and-neck with incumbent Todd Perry.

If the Dolphins open practice today with the same first-team offense, it's largely because Wannstedt wants to be doubly sure about making such important changes. Another four days of camp in South Florida, combined with joint practices Saturday and Sunday against Tampa Bay in Orlando and next Monday night's exhibition game against the Buccaneers, should prove whether McMichael and Nails are the real deal.

Some other observations from the first full week of camp practices:

Left cornerback Patrick Surtain is off to an unbelievable start. In the first four days of practices, Surtain had only two passes completed against him while intercepting seven.

After one practice, a Titans assistant coach picked Zach Thomas and Surtain as the two most impressive on the Dolphins' defense. Asked whether he thought Surtain was close to becoming as good as three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Sam Madison, the assistant said, "I think he may be even better."

On the flip side, Jamar Fletcher struggled at times against Tennessee's receivers and still must prove he can handle nickel cornerback responsibilities.

With today's pass-happy offenses, a nickel cornerback essentially serves as a 12th starter because the strong-side linebacker is usually removed in passing situations. The position is particularly difficult for the Dolphins, as teams game-plan to avoid throwing toward Madison and Surtain.

Don't count Fletcher out. He is among the hardest workers and seems determined to show why he was the Dolphins' 2001 first-round draft choice.

Still, the Dolphins would be wise to consider signing one of the few decent cornerbacks remaining in free agency to push Fletcher, Ray Green and rookie Omare Lowe. One option is ex-Washington corner Donovan Greer, who worked out for the Dolphins last month.

Fresh from of having to learn how to say the name of newly acquired fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo, Wannstedt seems prepared to tackle a new challenge after defensive end Adewale Ogunleye caught his eye vs. Titans backup linemen.

"We're going to have to learn how to pronounce his name, because it looks like he's going to be a factor," Wannstedt said.